DNA Stranger Rape Project

The primary goal for this program is to reduce crime by reducing the number of dangerous rapists on the streets of Washington communities and increase prosecution by identifying unknown suspects in sexual assault cases.

Project History:

In 2006 the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) requested grant funding to establish a Stranger Rape DNA test project. The project would allow private labs to assist the Washington State Crime Lab in processing DNA evidence in a more timely fashion. The Washington State Congressional Delegation supported the request and secured funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The funding significantly supports the goal of the project to increase the quantity of completed DNA tests resulting in a decreased backlog and to lower the turnaround time for DNA test results. The agreement between WASPC and Orchid Cellmark, the testing vendor, is to have a 30-day maximum return on test results; this means 30-days from the intake of evidence to the receipt of the final DNA test results to the originating agency.

Washington State and the FBI both have databases with DNA profiles that are available to the Washington State Crime Lab DNA Unit for comparison purposes and will potentially provide suspects in some of the cases waiting for analysis. In addition, the history of the database system is that roughly 30% of the profiles run obtain hits and of those hits, 30% have been multiple rape suspects or serial offenders.

Program Objectives:

The project focuses on unknown suspect sexual assault cases. For purposes of this project, "unknown suspect" is defined as someone the victim has not known for more than 24 hours, does not have a first and last name, or address. For child cases, 12 and under, all cases with DNA evidence are eligible. Also eligible are sexually motivated homicides and sexually motivated burglaries.

• Ensure the proper collection and handling of DNA evidence
• Enhance continual partnerships between law enforcement and community hospitals, and/or other medical professionals, and victim advocates working with rape victims
• Increase the number of DNA cases processed by private laboratories
• Enhance quality assurance monitoring
• Increase the number of DNA positive matches in State and National Databases
• Increase reporting of DNA matches to law enforcement officials
• Increase the prosecution of Stranger Rape Cases

Why Outsource DNA Analysis?

Since the late 1980's law enforcement professionals have been utilizing DNA analysis to identify, arrest, prosecute and lock-up dangerous offenders. DNA analysis has become an essential tool to law enforcement due to the accuracy and scientific linkage it provides between victims and suspects. Also contributing to the success of DNA analysis is the possibility of identifying suspects using limited amounts of DNA sample, such as bodily fluids collected from either a crime scene or rape-kit. Additional benefits to DNA analysis include the capability of identifying suspects by entering an unknown persons DNA into both the Washington State and Nation Databases for comparison to DNA samples already on file in the databases; this is highly beneficial being that a large percentage of stranger rape cases are committed by serial or repeat offenders whose data is likely to be stored in the State and National Databases.

Each year the Washington State Crime Lab receives nearly 3000 requests or DNA analysis; the Crime Lab is approximately 1000 cases behind schedule in processing this overwhelming number of requests. While the Washington State Governor and Legislature has recognized the need for additional funding and has made accommodations for funding in the 2007 biennial budget which will provide the Washington State Crime Lab's DNA Unit with ten additional technicians; the technicians will not be trained and certified to analyze DNA cases for at least two years.

In order to keep Washington State's increasing DNA requests processed in a timely manner, DNA evidence needs to be outsourced to private laboratories. In addition to maintaining ongoing DNA analysis outsourcing will also allow for Washington State to decrease the number of cases awaiting analysis and provide the means to get dangerous offenders off the streets and out of the communities of Washington State.

Dawn Larsen, Director of Projects
Phone: 360-486-2380
Fax: 360.486.2381 · Email: Dawn Larsen

• Stranger Rape Overview
• Sexual Assault Case Information Worksheet (Doc)

Once you have filled in the worksheet you can email it as an attachment to Dawn Larsen